Skyrim Smithing Daedric Armor and Weapons

So, your Skyrim character has a burning desire for Daedric armor and weapons, but unlike in previous Elderscroll games, you’re finding isn’t as easy to come by as it was in Oblivion or Morrowind. There’s a reason for this. Until your character reaches at least 50^th level, the game is not designed to provide any Daedric gear in treasures or equipped on any NPCs. If you desire Daedric weapons or armor prior to reaching this level, you’re left with two choices: Smithing or the Atronach Forge. This article deals with the smithing of Daedric equipment. The Atronach Forge requires a whole separate article, which I will provide in a future entry.

In order to create Daedric weapons and armor, your character must attain a smithing skill level of at least 90. In addition to achieving a smithing skill of 90 or higher, the character must also have the ebony smithing perk, as this is a prerequisite on the smithing perk tree prior to gaining the Daedric smithing perk. The easiest way to quickly level up one’s smithing skills is to purchase or acquire large quantities of iron ingots and use them to create daggers at the forge. The daggers one creates can be sold back to the blacksmith for extra cash. Iron ingots are relatively cheap and easy to come by, so with persistence, the “Iron dagger” method will rapidly advance one’s smithing ability.

Once your character reaches level 90 or higher in smithing, and has acquired the ebony and Daedric smithing perks, the components required to create Daedric equipment is ebony ingots and Daedra hearts. The best source of ebony ore in Skyrim is the Gloombound Mine located southeast of Windhelm. In addition to ebony ore, the mine also contains deposits of iron ore as well. The Gloombound Mine is attached to an orcish stronghold called Narzulbur. The orcs will be suspicious of you on your first visit to the compound. If you plan on frequenting the mine for ebony, it’s probably in your best interest to get on good terms with the orcs by performing the quest The Forgemaster’s Fingers. Once you obtain the Forgemaster’s Fingers (an enchanted gauntlet that grants +12 bonus to smithing) and return it to the orc chieftain of Narzulbur, you will be recognized as blood-kin to the orcs and will be welcome at all of their strongholds throughout Skyrim. If you are in the mood for a little thieving, be sure to help yourself to the ebony ore sitting in the wooden cart outside the mine near the bridge.

Daedra hearts can be acquired through a number of sources. While daedra hearts are sometimes found among loot in various dungeons, they are also available through certain Skyrim merchants. If you’re a member of the Dark Brotherhood, the vampire child assassin, Babette, who sells all sorts of alchemy ingredients. The various potion dealers in the towns also periodically carry daedra hearts in their inventory. Daedra hearts can also be acquired during the quest Pieces of the Past, where you recast the Daedric artifact Mehrunes Razor. The daedra you defeat at the end of this quest located at the Temple of Mehrunes Dagon will also respawn after you finish the quest in case you need more Daedra hearts. Enthir at the College of Winterhold sells two hearts at a time and restocks weekly.

Once you possess the necessary components, head to any forge and create your desired Daedric weapon or armor by selecting the Daedric option from among the types of armor and weapons on the menu when you activate the forge.Daedric weapons and armor may be improved up to Legendary level once your smithing skill is high enough. Daedric equipment can also be enchanted like any other type of weapon or armor.